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Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Mary Queen of Scots tapestries: drawings

I have spent today and a previous afternoon on these sketches, and plan to create some large sized panels inspired by these wonderful tapestries created by Mary Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury. At the time of Mary's execution in 1587, more than 300 worked panels depicting flowers, birds, beasts and fish were found with her belongings. The embroidered and appliquéd pieces were subsequently mounted on dark green velvet later on in the 17th Century. These panels now belong to the Victoria and Albert Museum, but have been loaned to Oxburgh Hall. The panels originally came to the Hall as part of the dowry of Mary Browne, daughter of 5th Viscount Montague, when she married Sir Richard Bedingfeld of Oxburgh Hall in 1761. She was descended from Sir Anthony Browne, a Commissioner at the Fotheringhay trial of Mary Queen of Scots. For more details on these panels, visit Oxburgh Hall, a National Trust property in Norfolk.

The red raised 'couched' thread was originally gold, but has now worn away to it's red core, which I will use as a main motif in the first panel I will paint.

'Marian Panel'Sketch book page. Lower right detail of padded satin covered border of cross shaped piece on the Cavendish Hanging

Embossed Leather wall covering: Oxburgh HallThere are hundreds of square feet of beautifully painted wall coverings in the corridors and stairwells of the Hall, all with different designs and background colours. Another trip, I think, to capture more!

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